Hunt for travelling iPad thief

Dressed in a shirt and tie, a train passenger is suspected of swiping a fellow travellers iPad.

The theft happened on a train between Darlington and Newcastle on Wednesday, April 30.

Anyone with any information should call British Transport Police on 0800 405040 quoting the reference number PN/032093/2014.

More than 90 held in 'Operation Sanctuary' abuse probe

More than 90 people have now been arrested by police probing the sexual exploitation of vulnerable women and girls.

Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in January to tackle the issue. So far 91 people have been arrested and 14 charged with offences.

Bench stolen from Cramlington cemetery

A bench worth hundreds of pounds has been stolen from a graveyard

It happened between 6pm on Tuesday, May 20, and 4pm on Saturday, May 24, at Mayfield Cemetery on Village Road in Cramlington.

Northumbria Police are appealing for anyone with information about the theft to contact them on 101 ext 69191.

'Poachers' steal ornamental animals from Tyneside garden centre

Police are hunting poachers – of ornamental animals.

On Friday, May 23 thieves broke into the Azure garden centre on Station Road in Cramlington by climbing the compound’s fence.

They stole a large resin tiger garden ornament and tried to make off down Station Road with it but were stopped by security and fled, leaving the “big cat” behind.

Undeterred, thieves retuned the following night, breaking into the garden centre and stealing 31 resin animal ornaments from its rear yard. The ornaments are of a range of different animals, including a tortoise, pig, horse, rabbit and chimpanzee.

They also took models of a peacock, fawn, owls, an eagle, a badger, five different types of dogs, and a sheep.

In total, the ornaments are worth around £4,000.

Inquiries are ongoing and officers – who may or may not be from the wildlife section – are appealing for information. Anyone with information should contact police on 101 ext 69191.

Thieves steal equipment worth thousands

Thousands of pounds of equipment was stolen during a raid in Northumberland.

Thieves struck between 10.20am and 11.30am on Thursday at The Old Vicarage, in Warden, Northumberland, and targeted outbuildings and a garage.

An orange and grey Kawasaki ride-on lawnmower worth thousands of pounds was stolen, as well as a silver Ifor Williams Tiffer trailer

A yellow Karcher pressure washer, two Husqvarna chainsaws, a green patrol lawnmower, two Husqvarna strimmers and an orange Flymo lawnmower were also taken. Police believe it may be linked to an incident which happened overnight between 6pm on Wednesday and 9am the following morning. In that incident, intruders went to Dunterley Farm, in Bellingham, and entered a Dutch barn.

Although signage was removed from a trailer in the barn, nothing was stolen. Neighbourhood Insp Kevin Oates said: “We’re carrying out inquiries into these offences, both of which happened late on Wednesday, into Thursday, and are looking into whether they are linked.

“We’re doing everything we can to identify the people responsible and recover the stolen property, which amounts to thousands of pounds.

“People must know where these items are, in particular the ride-on lawn mower, which is a very distinctive item.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 ext 69191, or Crime­stoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.